Thum + Mahr, systems integration specialist which is part of the Broadcast Solutions group, has delivered a third DHD audio console to News Broadcasting, part of the News UK media group. The DHD RX2 console is now in use in the talkSPORT studio complex.
News Broadcasting, with headquarters in London and a major presence in ROI and Northern Ireland, reaches a monthly audience of almost 40 million across the United Kingdom and Ireland. Brands include national radio stations like Times Radio, Virgin and Talk, plus a group of market-leading local stations in Ireland.
The production facility in London features an extensive infrastructure connected over Livewire technology. News Broadcasting was keen to expand its connectivity to a fully open platform for greater flexibility and configurability. It first brought in Thum + Mahr for a proof of concept in September 2024.
Initially this led to the installation of two DHD consoles, one for a standby studio to be used while others are under maintenance or rebuilding, and one for a training and testing new configurations before putting them live to air. News Broadcasting has now returned to Thum + Mahr for a third console, a large DHD RX2 for the main talkSPORT studio.
“The flexibility of the RX2 impressed us,” said Edd Norton, systems project engineer at News Broadcasting. “It is designed for modern workflows in live on-air studios, and we can quickly reconfigure the complete infrastructure depending on the needs of the output and the time of day. Because it supports both native SMPTE 2110 and Livewire AES67, it sits seamlessly on our network”.
“Thum + Mahr supported us all the way from our initial enquiries to installation and handover,” Norton said. “Given our experience with the first two DHD consoles, we were fully ready for this major live installation, and everything is performing as we hoped.”
Rupert Brun, Broadcast Consultant (UK) at Thum + Mahr said “Our goal is always to really dig into the customer’s requirements, then work together to find the best fit. This takes time, of course, but it ensures that the solution as installed really meets the technical and operational needs of the facility.
“It is important for News Broadcasting to future-proof its infrastructure against both evolving media standards and changes in commercial and operational expectations,” Brun added. “We developed this solution because the processes and workflows meet their needs rather than dictating how they should operate. That is true today and will meet changing requirements as they develop.
